


Cause It Hurts Like Hell

by TXJ1123



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-19 04:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4733519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TXJ1123/pseuds/TXJ1123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They Drive each other crazy, both directly and indirectly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It starts with a song

**Author's Note:**

> Dis: I own nothing. This is done for my enjoyment, and shared with the public for theirs. All known characters and locations belong to the respectful copy right owners(Henson Studios,Maveric Records, William Sword, David Bowie, EMI, and a few more...), all other content falls under free speech and fair use acts.

She had won; wasn’t that enough?  Yet she still plagued him.  He had fulfilled his role as the laws of magic that governed him and his people dictated.

He took the child, when she recanted her wish he brought her to his realm.  With a little backwards trickery on his part, she won the child back.  Sure the child smelled of goblin, but it could have been worse.

 

He even allowed her to keep in contact with the friends she had made.  How does she repay him?

 

By teaching that bloody Fox-that-thinks-he’s-a-Knight that atrocious song!  The one about a farmer and his stupid dog’s name.  It wouldn’t have been so bad but Sir Dipitydo-whatever taught the goblins how to sing it, with barking where the missing letters should go.

 

He was a breath away from declaring a kingdom wide ban on the song when a chorus of, “Sing the new one.” swept through the room.

 

“ **WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?** ” followed by goblin dog barking that shook the walls of the castle.

 

Yes, Sarah Williams would pay most dearly.

 


	2. Who Needs a Fan When You're an Owl

 

Sarah laughed when Hoggle told her that,

"King Jareth is unhappy with you. Those songs you taught Sir Didymus and the goblins are giving him headaches. You aught to watch yourself."

Sarah simply responded that the Goblin King no longer held power over her and changed the subject.

The next day, Irene offered to take her to school since she was headed to check out a new day care for Toby that morning.

His last day-sitter was now in the hospital with a broken hip and leg. Apparently she fell down the stairs after putting Toby down for a nap. She didn't see what tripped her, but she believed it to be one of her cats.

"Funny that she thought her cat's hiss sounded like laughter." Sarah's father had commented after Irene had exclaimed how glad she was that Toby had still not been in the woman's arms.

The morning was crisp and clear. Sarah had turned her gaze skyward taking in a deep lung full of air.

"Oh, My heavens!" Irene's shriek of disbelief shattered the tranquility of the morning.

When Sarah's eyes sought and focused on what had her step-mother's feathers ruffled she had to stifle a laugh, managing to cover it up with a gasp.

Irene's car, which had just been washed, waxed and detailed, was covered in bird crap. Not just a couple of spots; the splotches littered the ground around the car, the windows held streaks where the fresh wet globs had landed, some were yellow-peach colored and others slightly green. A few pellets where mixed in for good measure too.

As Sarah got closer to the car the smell made her eyes burn, it was worse than walking into a cave full of bats.

"What could have done this?" Irene screeched, "Birds don't… they, not like that." She wouldn't say the word in front of Toby.

"Actually, birds of prey do." Sarah mused, knowing exactly what had done it.

"Umm, I think I'll just walk. Thanks for the offer though, Irene." and with that Sarah was jogging down the street towards the park.

"Jareth, when I get my hands on you!" Sarah raged, but her mock furry quickly turned into a chill as she heard the whispering on the wind.

"I'll enjoy that all too much, Precious."

'Game on, goblin breath, game on.' she thought as she walked the rest of the way to school.

 

* * *

 

.


	3. Playing Dress Up

Sarah was taking a second semester costume making class. The elective normally wouldn't have been Sarah's sort of thing, after all her interest were in performing, not design, but it was this class or Intro to Cooking. However she was now very grateful for the class. All of the costumes they made were scaled down to child size and donated to the local youth theater program, unless the student brought her or his own fabric in. After the first couple of projects that is exactly what Sarah started doing.

She had her own little performing arts troop to outfit, in the form of Jareth's goblins. First though she had made a wonderful suit of armor for Sir Ditymus, and a hat for Ludo. Hoggle refused anything, he was quite happy with his current clothes, besides Jareth would have noticed and sent him strait to the Bog.

Finally came the goblins; some goblins seemed more feminine than others, in the most unlady like sort of ways, but as a whole the goblins didn't seem to recognize gender among them much. So Sarah set about making dresses and tuxedos of a more Victorian style. After completing the first draft of each at school she set about making three more sets of each at home.  
The receiving goblins adorned their new armor and set off back home to show off. Sarah was more than motivated with the reaction the goblins had. The little creatures had paired up and spun around the room, reminding Sarah of the dream-like enchantment that the Goblin King had trapped her in.

This gave her the perfect idea for her final project. The materials wouldn't be exact, as she was not about to spend the money on leather, let alone work it just to give it to goblins. It took up the majority of her free time, to the point where her parents started to become concerned. Sarah quickly spun the story that she was making the costumes as dress up for an orphanage that an acquaintance of hers ran. In a weird way it was true, after all if goblins were unwanted children who had been wished away to the Goblin King, then they were orphaned and Jareth in all of his overblown might was their caretaker.

She was finally done. Two weeks before the term ended Sarah presented the goblins with replica clothes to what she had worn the day Jareth had brought her into the Underground and, with some help from her friends, a replica of Jareth's outfit, complete with blond-blue streaked wig. In all there were fifteen of each.

The way she had it figured, if what Hoggle told her was true, the Goblin King was behind more than just the poo-bombing of her stepmother's car. She knew that the goblins still watched over Toby, as it had been explained to her, they still felt him one of them though he had never been changed. All the same, in the case of Toby's first sitter, cats don't laugh - goblins do. And suddenly they could no longer line dry cloths because there must be raccoons in the neighborhood who were stealing socks and ties and the occasional tea towel. Sarah knew these were goblins due to the pear-print turban one was wearing a few days after the majority of a load of linens went missing.

Sarah knew this was her friendly neighborhood Goblin King messing with her, meddling in her and Toby's lives and doing his best to cause minor problems in her life.  
It was time for the goblins to do her bidding and remind their King that she had chosen her own path and destiny.  
She only had a moment's trepidation, but felt that surely Jareth wouldn't banish all of the goblins to the bog.

It took a little coaching but she finally got the goblins to repeat a few of the words that she could remember exchanging with the Goblin King.  
"My kingdom is as great as yours.", and "Love me, fear me." were chanted again and again followed by fits of giggles and goblins beaning each other upside the head. Once she was done Sarah had a head ache that was only made worse but her constant fit of giggles every time she imagined the outraged king.

And out raged he was.  
Enough so that he didn't think before acting. While he teased, she wounded. It was time to find out why she scorned him so.  
The next day, Sarah didn't take long to notice the owl that was following her in the day light.  
She was careful to make sure she was always with a group of people, which seemed to hold him at bay.

That was until her costume class.  
Sarah received her final project back, two outfits, perfect replicas of the ball gown she had been wearing and outfit that the Goblin King had been wearing.  
She hadn't realized he was sitting in the classroom window until the teacher presented them before the class as the best works and returned them to Sarah. That is when he started flying into the glass like a maddened, crazed bird.

Cries of surprise rang out in the class. Her teacher picked up the phone and dialed the Anatomy and Life Science teacher down the hall. He happened to have a net, which was actually a pool skimmer but it worked the same to snare the disturbed owl.  
All the while Sarah shivered; she had no doubt that once no one was looking the owl would disappear. She also had no doubt that the King of Goblins was furious with her.  
Still she couldn't help letting a small smirk slide across her face.

'Sarah two, Jareth one, but who is keeping score?' she thought.


	4. Superman is to Kryptonite as Jareth is to ---

Sarah should have known by lunch that something was wrong. No fire alarms, or flooded bathrooms, sewer gas back ups or any other calamity that would indicate a full on Goblin King assault. 

Her final class of the day was Life Science. Her shock, quickly bled into a nervous worry as she sat through the class, unable to take her eyes off of the barn owl that was caged on her professor's desk.

“Ms. Williams if you’d please. That bird is not going anywhere, and he certainly won’t help you pass your exam on ecosystems.” her teacher exclaimed pulling her out of her musings over why Jareth had yet to free himself. Surely the classroom at been empty as some point during the day. Very few teachers stayed in their rooms during their lunch or free periods.   
What worried her more is that what she had at first believed to be fidgeting looked more like shivers to her, like a person does when they run a high temperature or are in shock.

Sarah shook her head and tried to refocus on the class and taking notes. Class didn’t end nearly soon enough, but Sarah still couldn’t leave. She needed to know something.

“Sir, what are you going to do with the owl?” she asked, never fully taking her eyes off of the cage. The owl was watching her back, just as it had been all of class.

“Ms. Williams owls aren’t pets if that is what you are thinking.” he answered in the way that many adults did, but answering what they thought you were after instead of what had actually been asked.

“No, I know that they are wild animals.” she gave the owl a very pointed looks “ I’m just curious, I just wanted to know what would happen to him.” she said, biting back her irritation at being treated like a small child.

“Given his behavior this morning, I am taking him to the local nature center tomorrow since they are closed today.”

Sarah just nodded, then opened up her book bag.  
“Here, give these to him, he looks like he may be hungry.” she said handing the half pack of peanut butter crackers to her teacher.

 

Later that night at home she locked herself in her room telling her family that she had lots of homework and didn’t want to be disturbed. It didn’t matter anyhow as they were going out again and Toby was in a growth spurt and and done nothing but eat and go right back to sleep for the last two days.

She about jumped out her skin when Hoggle appeared in her mirror.  
“I’m sorry Sarah, but have you seen Jareth. He has been missing for some time, and none of us can seem to get a lock on his location.

Sarah couldn't stifle her giggle.  
“Actually I do know where he is. Or at least where he was. He is in a cage on my teacher's desk.” She managed to get out, believing that Hoggle would find the situation funny.  
However her dear friend did not.

“Sarah you need to tell me exactly what has happened. There is no cage that can keep the Goblin King. “

Sarah was in disbelief.  
“Not even iron?” she asked, having read the lore about the people of the Underground.

“Not him, most of our peoples would be rendered helpless, but not the King of Goblins. If iron could hold him, the goblins would have found a way to trap him long ago, and would be running around in total chaos. Now tell me, what have you done this time!” His voice wasn’t harsh but exasperated.

Sarah thought for a moment, perplexed by what it could have been. She didn’t get far when she was interrupted.

“What is a pool skimmer?” Hoggle asked.  
“It is a net on the end of a long metal pole. Usually it is used for cleaning swimming pools, they’re kind of like big bath tubs, but this one is actually used for fishing things out of a pond.”

“A pond?!” Hoggle jumped in shock. “Oh Sarah you’ve got to get to him now. Right now!” he fretted.  
“Why? Because he was caught by something that was used in a pond?”  
“Yes, don’t you get it. Pond Scum is his one weakness. Why do you think he likes the Bog of Stench so much for punishments? Because he hates it himself, but not for the smell.”

Sarah had heard and seen many strange things, but to think that pond scum would leave the Goblin King powerless was unbelievable. Then again, since it was Jareth, it almost made sense.

So, pond scum was the reason why she was leaving her baby brother in the care of Sir Didymus and breaking into her school at eight-thirty at night. All to steal a stupid owl, who was really an over zealous stalker Goblin King that was deathly allergic to pond scum. Did she mention pond scum?!


	5. Dawn Tough on Pond Scum

“I told you to quit making him angry.” Hoggle had argued.  
“You know what he did to our car!” Sarah shrieked, then realized she sounded like her step-mom and toned it down.

“Fine, we’ll bring him here only if we must. As soon as he is strong enough back to the Goblin City he goes.” So ended the argument.

However things didn’t go as planned at all from the moment the cage was open. Sarah had been ready for a big flashy transformation of wrath from Jareth; one in which she would most likely end up bogged.

Nothing happened. The owl didn’t move. Sarah rolled her eyes, she couldn’t help but feel that he was playing games with her.

“I know it’s you Jareth, get out of that cage.” The owl gave a feeble hoot, but didn’t move. Sarah looked to Hoggle who was wringing his hands.

“Now you’ve done it. He can’t change back.” Hoggle exclaimed.  
To Sarah’s dismay when she held the cage up to the light the bottom was covered in feathers, the same for her teacher’s desk.

“The scum must be making his feathers fall out. We’ll have to get him washed off.” Sarah said, worry evident in her tone and expression. She didn’t quite understand what was going on, let alone how his transformations worked but she knew the amount of feathers he had lost couldn’t be good.

“No ‘we’ in that sister. I told you I’m a coward. I don’t want to be around when he changes back.”  
Sarah just gave Hoggle a disgusted look.  
“And if he changes back while I’m washing him?”  
“Ain’t nothin you haven’t seen before, you got a baby brother don’t cha?” Hoggle stated stubbornly.  
Sarah felt the blush creep across her face, but couldn’t keep from musing that given the view from his pants there was no way that Jareth was as underdeveloped as her baby brother.

She never got to argue that though as Ludo grunted the warning signal that someone was coming.

“Hoggle can you do something?” she asked slightly frantic.  
Hoggle looked around the room finding a square mirror over the sink in the back of the classroom

“Over here.” He said pulling Sarah behind him, Ludo on her heals, bumping desk as they went.  
“Quick now, picture your room.” Hoggle commanded  
Next thing Sarah knew they were standing in her room. She wanted to know what they hadn’t just gone to the school using the same method, but bringing Jareth into her well lit room she could see how patch his feathers looked. A thin layer of grey-green slime seemed to be working its way across and threw what plumage he had left.  
With the caged owl in hand she quickly rushed to the bathroom and started running water for a warm bath.  
She wondered what to use to wash an owl, they had regular, baby and dog shampoo. She didn’t think Jareth would take to kindly to dog shampoo, how ever funny the thought might have been, adult shampoo just seemed too harsh to use on an owl. So the tear free baby shampoo won by default. 

When the water level reached about the level she would have used for Toby’s bath she reached into the cage and picked owl-Jareth up. To her relief his talons didn’t cut into her skin. She gently set him into the warm water and lathered some of the baby shampoo between her hands. Jareth had been shivering the whole time, but gave a soft coo-ing sound at her touch.

“You’re really enjoying this aren’t you? Well, then let’s see how you like the next step.” despite her words she was gentle and made sure the cup of warm water went down his back and not into his eyes as she rinsed him. Her response was a slightly indignant squawk, but he didn’t try to avoid her as she made a second pass over him, gently rubbing his breast-feathers in the process.

To Sarah’s dismay the grey-green substance had spread into the water, but it didn’t seem to be leaving his plumage at all.

“Hoggle, why isn’t it washing off? I don’t understand, pond scum shouldn’t be hard to get rid of.”

“It isn’t regular scum anymore, it has mixed with and absorbed Jareth’s magic.” Hoggle answered taking a cautious step into the bath room.

“Great, let me just run down stairs and get the Magic Scum remover from under the kitchen sink!” Sarah quipped throwing her hands up.

“Sarwa mad?” Ludo stuck his head in and asked.

“Just frustrated. Is Toby ok?”

“baby fine. Didy wash cups.” answered Ludo.  
Sarah paused, a t.v. commercial coming back to her. In the commercial they had shown a lake where oil had run into it from a nearby plant. They had used the dish soap to wash off the animals and return them back to clean water.

“You’re a genius Ludo!” she said giving him a peck on the cheek as she dashed down to the kitchen.  
She garbed the bottle of blue liquid from next to Sir Didymus who was standing on a kitchen chair washing dishes while humming.   
“My Lady?” but she was gone before he got any further.  
“Dawn tough of grease, soft on hands.” She read as she came in and knelt by the bath tub. Hoggle was all to happy to get away from the predatory glaring owl-King and retreated back into the hall where he could be heard informing Sir Didymus, who’d followed Sarah, of the current situation.

“Let’s hope this works for scum and owls the same.” She mumbled as she poured a generous amount into her hands and repeated the same process as earlier.

There was a slight ‘Spoof’ sound as Sarah was knocked backwards from the tub. She would have been lost to laughter at the sight in front of her if it wasn’t for the sorry state that the Goblin King was in.

Jareth was far from imposing, predatory or glittery in his current state. Sarah was spared the awkward embarrassment of seeing him naked due to the fact that the Goblin King transformed fully clothed. His shirt, soaked, hung oddly off of his frame. His pale hair was darkened by the water and matted down dripping in his face at odd angles. She was sure he was missing patches but the coloration of his skin had her more concerned. It looked red and inflamed, most likely from his reaction to the scum. His eyes bloodshot - the whites nearly matching his skin, and unable to keep focus.

“Jareth stay with me.”   
As he started to slide down further into the tub she shook him slightly.  
“Goblin King, you will not pass out on me. Ludo, Hoggle I need you!” Sarah called.  
“Sarah” his voice was soft and strained.  
Both creatures entered, Hoggle gasping upon looking at the King who had let his eyes close.

“Rinse him off and get him out of those clothes. I’ll get my dad’s robe and old pajama bottoms.”

Upon returning Sarah simply stuck her hand into the bathroom not daring to look in. Not much later Ludo came out with Jareth unconscious in his arms. His pale hair hung limp in a mess that made her want to brush it way from his face, his skin still held an unnatural feverish color.

“He can’t travel back to the Undergound in this state. Sir Didymus and I will have to travel back to find the herbs to restore his magic and strength.” Hoggle said sadly, knowing Sarah wouldn’t be happy about the Goblin King staying.

Ludo, with out asking, placed the King on Sarah’s bed tucking him in like a sickly child. Sarah started to protest but it died on her lips as Jareth’s teeth chattered while he curled in on himself shivering.

“Oh God, how am I going to hide him from my parents? They’ll be home soon. I’ll be dead if they find a min in my room, let along my bed!”  
Sarah had a doomed feeling, the old her wanted to scream that it wasn’t fair.

“Can’t you just tell them to stay out?” Hoggle asked

“With parents that only makes them more determined to come in.” Sarah looked around her room in desperation. She then ran over to her closet and started going through her clothes discarding many of them into a pile on the floor.

“My Lady, I do not understand how a change in attire will help?” Sir Didymus spoke up.  
When Sarah didn’t respond Sir Didymus ushered Ludo and Hoggle through the mirror to go in search of the things needed to heal their King.

Sarah gently moved Jareth over to the far side of her bed. She then took the pile of clothes and piled them on his sleeping form.

“There, now all I have to do is tell them I am redesigning some of my clothes to make new outfits. No one will move the clothes and they wont notice him for all of them.”  
Sarah felt slightly proud of her self for a fleeting second, then the reality that she had a sick Goblin King in her bed set in.

“Where am I going to sleep?”


	6. Over Load

The first thing Jareth was fully aware of was the aching in his neck, next was the harshness the sunlight had on his face. His instincts told him that he wasn’t in his own bed. The sweet scent assaulting his sense of smell combine with the added weight on his person made him pause.  
He had no doubt that he was smelling Sarah, but couldn’t bring himself to believe that she would be in his bed, nor ever allow him near hers. In order for such to happen she would have to invite or wish him into her room. Further more he never would have allowed himself into such a situation willingly not after what she had done to him.

After what she had done to him. The past few weeks events came flooding back. The annoying songs, gaudy costumes, and the final straw, her plotting to throw their dance back in his face. The stinging in his heart washed through him churning his stomach and making him envoltenarly curl up. That was when he noticed there was something next to him in the bed. Or more accurately someone.   
Jareth cracked one eye open a bit, just enough to see while his eye lashes would still hide his state of awake as long as no one was currently studying him.

Sure enough the presence he nudged was Sarah. She was still fully dressed a light blanket covering her as she slept on top of the ones covering him, her hair a mess partially across her face. Jareth had to restrain himself from pushing it back out of her eyes, he knew if he were to touch her, it would shatter the peaceful tranquility of the moment.   
His despair and anger gone as quickly as they came, he realized he still wasn’t clear as to how he came to be in her room, let a lone in her bed.

That was when he head the scampering of goblins under the bed.

“Hush! Lady will kill you if you wake the King.” a stern goblin voice intoned  
“You, hush. King will bog you if you wake Lady.” one whispered harshly.  
“King should be better now. Dwarf and Knight gave him special drink.” another chimed in.  
“Lady washed off scum, stayed with King to get rid of sleep fire and bad dreams.”  
Jareth had to wonder for a moment what the little thing meant by ‘sleep fire’ as he put all of it together a little more of the previous day’s events came back to him.

He had been caught in owl form, with a net covered in pond scum. The scum had been dry and flaked down between his feathers as he struggled. The scum bonded with the magic that he naturally radiated and spread over his skin then up across his feathers. 

Jareth violently rolled out of bed as the memory played through his mind. She had watched him captured and didn’t come to his aid, then again sat for nearly an hour, hardly taking her eyes from him and did nothing to free him.

Not until that night, when he was already too weak to change back did she come to his aid. When he was quite possibly on the precipice of death. Jareth could feel his emotions start to over load him. He knew he was missing something and he hated to feel less than intelligent or not in control and he was feeling both at the moment. As he came out of his raver he became aware that Sarah was now awake and looking at him with a slightly bemused look on her face.

“You’re awake, I’m glad.” she said, a smile lighting her face.

Unable to take her mocking him, and not in the present emotional state to analyze what she was saying to him, he did the only thing possible. He poof-ed out of her room and strait back to his castle.

“Not much of a morning person is he?” she asked a small goblin that was sitting on her bed now covered in glitter.

“I don’t think he even noticed how he was dressed.” she mused as the goblin nodded in agreement with her, shaking glitter everywhere.


	7. On Guard

He was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected her to ever come back. Not here to his home, his domain, his castle, oh hell who was he kidding - his prison. Actually he was pretty sure she had sworn that she would never step foot in ‘Goblin Territory’ again.

All the same here she was. Her expression was blank, like she hadn't expected to find him in his own castle.

“Most people tend to kneel or at least bow when they intrude into a King’s throne room.” He drawled letting his still lingering anger drip into this words. While this had the effect he expected it would, he found no pleasure in railing her up as he normally would have.

“Forgive me Your-Highness. It hadn’t occurred to me that you expected such things given the company you keep.” The tint of pink in her cheeks was darkening. He saw the first twinge of apprehension, her shoulders becoming rigid and her eyes focusing intently on him as he stood. It surprised him mildly when she stepped toward him instead retreating away from him as he advanced toward her.

He let the silence extend between them until he was just inside of her personal space.  
“Why are you here Sarah?”   
He allowed his eyes to go half lidded as he asked his question, turning it into more of a feral purr than enquiry. 

She gave pause, like she had forgotten her purpose. No, he realized, she was only choosing which of her reasons to share with him.

“You took off so quickly, Hoggle said you shouldn’t have used your magic so soon after -”

So she wasn’t even here of her own concerns and accord, no, she was here because of that troll faced gardener - Hogwart! 

“And Hogsmith is now an expert on what I should and should not do?” Jareth demanded not giving her the chance to continue rambling.

“Hog-gle and Sir Didymus saved your life. You should be grateful.” her voice was rising. He always seemed to have that effect on her. Like wise she had similar effect on him.

“Grateful. Grateful for what? That those two helped you to annoy and torment me? Teaching the goblins those songs making them those clothes and sending them back with mocking scripts. That song, that dance, you make me regret ever being so honest about wha-- There is no way I feel grateful for any of it.”

Jareth knew the truth though, the only thing he regretted was that she was too young and stubborn to see what he offered. She didn’t know what she did to him. He suddenly felt very tired of it all. 

It took him a moment to pull from this thoughts and realize that Sarah had been talking.

“- and really you’re the one who sent goblins to cause problems for me, so don’t try to say I started all of this.” 

He placed a hand on her shoulder forcing her to look him in the eye for a moment. It effectively stopped the outpouring of words from her mouth, but Jareth couldn't find what he was looking for.  
Not that he was completely sure what it was he sought in her eyes, but the confusion masking the cruel distrust that her eyes held toward him certainly was not what he desired.

He turned away from her, forcing himself to breath deeply before saying what he must.

“Sarah go home, you’ve made your point. I hold no power over you, and you are still too young to understand the power you hold over me.”

With a flick of his wrist she was gone from his sight even if he would never be able to banish her from his mind. He would endure his prison in solitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * * *
> 
> At this point I think it is only fair to disclose that these first seven chapter were originally posted to FF dot net three years ago, and you the reader are now caught up to the point where I have chosen to pick this back up at.


	8. Two Weeks

Summer break had started at the beginning of the week, and with it her summer theater camp. Sarah’s initial fears of encountering a disaster of Phantom of the Opera sized proportions were quickly fading.

It had been nearly two weeks since Sarah had landed back in her room suddenly and unexpectedly. She had stood looking past her reflection in the mirror for sometime, still unable to grasp exactly what had just taken place. Eventually she shrugged and figured that Jareth would just need a little bit of time to calm down and get over losing that round.

After about four days she realized that she hadn’t heard from anybody from the Goblin kingdom. She had waited a couple of more days before trying to make contact herself, to no avail. She called for Hoggle first, then Ludo and finally Sir Didymus. She had tried “I need you.”, “I need you now” and “I wish.” she had done everything but evoke Jareth’s name, she still refused to do just that. 

She hazarded that it would only take a short amount of time before Jareth would become bored and reopen the link between his realm and hers. 

It irritated her to admit that she was starting to miss the goblins and their antics. Not to mention, deep down, she hated the way he had forced her to leave things between them. She had never meant to hurt him, only to get under his skin the way he got under hers.

She had thought that the camp would give her a summer full of friends, and new worlds and adventures to explore, not to mention keep her thoughts off of a certain Goblin King. However so far all it did was make her long for her unique friends and their world. Most of the kids in attendance were rich and spoiled, or models and had been on stage for years. Few truly enjoyed the theater, and the few who did looked down on her for her inexperience at her age.

Still her stepmom had been pushing her to interact with kids her own age. So she had accepted the invitation to meet at the local ice cream shop tonight, even if the invite felt cagey. 

It started off wrong with her dad insisting on dropping her off. She could hear the snickers as she got out of the car, and did her best to ignore the couple of girls that whispered behind their hands to each other.

Then it was her choice of a rootbeer float, and when she tried to join the conversation she got talked over or the conversation would die with everyone looking at her like she had two heads.  
After a while Sarah got the point that her company was not welcome and made excuse to go to the restroom, going out the back door and heading to the park.

The whole walk she muttered the sharp witty things that she hadn’t been brave enough to say. When she made it to the old white bridge her steam had run out and she was left deflated and self conscience. 

After awhile the chill of the night air caught up with Sarah, and she decided to make her way home.

“Sarah, where have you been? You’re father is out looking for you. He was worried sick when he went back to pick you up and your friends said you had disappeared.”

Great, so now she was in trouble too.

“They’re not my friends! And I don’t need you two babying me.” she huffed, maybe a little louder and more aggressive than necessary. Couldn’t her stepmother ever learn when to leave well enough alone?

“What do you mean?” she asked

“Never mind. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“No Sarah, what happened? What do you mean, they aren’t your friends?”

“They didn’t want me there. Just like you guys don’t want me around unless you need a babysitter. Just like my mom and just like Jare-- . I told you I don’t want to talk about. I’m going to bed.” With that she dashed up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door shut.

She heard her dad walk in a few minutes later, and her stepmom appraise him of the situation.

“I’m worried, she thinks nobody wants her.”  
“It’s just a phase, she’ll grow out of it.”

“I wish I were back in the oubliette right now.” Sarah muttered into the darkness of her pillow.

* * *

* * *

Jareth had banished every goblin, critter and being from the castle and sealed it, himself the sole inhabitant. That was, well he hadn’t kept track of time, but awhile ago. He had also lost count of the number of times he had been tempted to open the path between his realm and hers once more, to see if she would contact him.  
He had erected a barrier, effectively blocking her out of his world, and ridding her of his unwanted presence. It cost her the friends she had made in his realm, a small price to pay compared to the torment that he would endure until time faded her from memory.

That was why when he first sensed it, he refused to believe it to be anything more than his own heart playing tricks on him. But the feeling didn’t fade.  
He had an intruder, in the oubliette to be specific. He conjured a crystal, only to drop it upon the sight.

“Bloody damned if I don’t put those knitting needles in their empty eye sockets the next time I cross paths with the damned Fates if they are behind this.”

With a flick of his wrist he transported her to the solar. He would be thrice damned if he allowed her to accuse him of imprisoning her, when she was the one here unwelcomed this time. It didn’t matter that it gave him time to cool down and work up again his rage at her trespass, or a grand theatrical entrance as he slammed doors throughout the castle on his way there.

His bristle and bustle were for not though, as he entered to find Sarah deeply engrossed in the selection of wall paper that he had left unattended long ago when he’d had the whim to redecorate.

 

Sarah wasn’t sure how to feel. She had after all wished to be where she was, but she hadn’t done so intentionally.  
She’d only just whispered his name when she felt herself pulled into another place. She dealt with a moment of vertigo, then took in her surroundings.

She was instantly in love with the room. Like much else she had seen of the castle the room was full of arch ways instead of straight edges. The ceiling vaulted with a wrap around balcony area, floor to ceiling book shelves on two of the three walls, the other two adorned with large windows, with extravagant window seats adorned with deep blue and black throw pillows. Scrolls and parchment were on most every table surface in the room.

Sarah made her way to a window seat and picked up a large book that had been left open on the seat. However to her surprise it wasn’t a normal book, it was more a catalog. A catalog of wallpaper samples. Her sour mood temporarily forgotten she giggled at the thought of Jareth picking out wallpaper.

She was forced to admit that he had fairly good taste based on the ones he had marked, and had begun to wonder what kind of rooms he had intended to use them on.  
She could hear doors slamming open in the distance, and tell that the slamming was getting closer and closer. She chose to ignore it. He was obviously still mad at her, and well, he could just take a number and get in line.

She reached the back of the book to find a sketch, it detailed, almost like an architect's schematic.  
It didn’t take long for Sarah to recognize it as a nursery, her parents had drawn on napkins and graph paper to plan and layout Toby’s not long ago. This aroused so many questions that she had never even thought of. How old was Jareth? Did he have kids? Had he been in love before?

She’d just assumed him immortal, and that she had been his only interest because it suited her ideals. But, there was so much she didn’t know about him. She hadn’t known he was allergic to pond scum, and she didn’t get why he said half of the things he did. 

She was focused on these thoughts and only subconsciously registered when the door to the room she was in finally slammed open.

Jareth was an arms length away from her when she looked up. His eyes were mesmerising, like a nebula of emotions swirling, yet completely unreadable. The rest of him told another story. He looked like hell. His hair, while normally styled unruly, was completely limp and a mess. Dark circles outlined his eyes. These were only highlighted by his crumpled clothes and the thin line of his mouth.

They stared at each other unspeaking for what felt like forever and yet only a breath. 

“Sarah.” his voice was even, smooth and of normal volume. She wasn’t sure if she should take it as greeting, warning or question. So she took it as all three.

“I know, I’m the last person you want to see. I didn’t mean to, and I know, I have a habit of saying things I don ‘t mean. “ she looked away from him, down at the floor.  
It was all catching up to her. Him being angry with her, her parents treating her like something was wrong with her because she didn’t have friends to go out with, her peers not wanting her around.  
“Nothing has gone right lately. I just wanted to be alone, left to the dark for a bit. You can send me back.”

She looked back at him when he didn’t speak. She followed his gaze to her lap where the schematic lay unfolded.

“Where did you get that?” his voice was still quiet, but it held an edge of ice and menace that put her on edge. His expression said that he had been focused on the paper and not heard a thing she said.

“It was in the back of the wallpaper book.” her voice came out a whisper, her confusion evident in her voice

She handed it to him, the moment her fingers released it the page went up in flames.

She let out a gasp of shock.

“Stay as long as you like. As long as it is not more than a full day I can send you back to within minutes of your arriving here.” His voice was light, and kind, but the warmth didn’t reach his eyes. 

Before she could even utter a thank you or ask him anything he was gone again.

Sarah sighed and set the wallpaper book aside, leaning back and gazing out the window at the bruise colored mountains in the distance she suddenly felt very tired. She noticed a dark blue robe lying against the pillow on the other side of the bench that she hadn’t previously noticed, and wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to learn that it had just suddenly appeared. Toeing her shoes off and draping the garment over herself she curled up and closed her eyes to the scents of cedar and nutmeg mixed with something she couldn't identify. It was warm and comforting, and Sarah idly wondered if there were stars in the underground as she drifted off.


	9. Lost and the Lonley

Jareth flopped down on his throne, the room feeling oppressive and too quiet with the lack of subjects bustling about and causing mayhem. So he chose to lift the ward banishing the little blighters.  
He wasn't sure how much more emotional strain he could handle. 

He was aware that Sarah was completely naive to how much power she held over him. However he was caught off guard by just how much of his power she had obtained and the allowances of such power.  
The kind of trouble she could cause him if she were to realize.  
He was starting to understand why granting Fae magic to mortals was taboo. Such things were governed by kingdom and so long as her antics never reached beyond his borders it would be no one else's business.

It wasn't simply uttering a wish, or demanding it be granted immediately that evoked the power as it was emotional distress.

He truly wanted to know what was running through her pretty little head. And he knew she had said in part, but that bloody infernal piece of parchment was in her hands distracting him. He'd thought it lost centuries ago, gone with a time and age he cared not to remember.

The pattering of feet on the stone floor drew his attention to the door way.

In came three messenger goblins chasing a crow.

The crow swooped low over the throne dropping a sealed letter in Jareth's lap. The symbol, a triquetra housing a full moon, new moon and crescent moon in each loop, sent a cold chill down his spine.

" Giving credit to the phrase "Don't tempt the fates." Huh." He mused with a bitter laugh as he broke the seal.  
He resisted the urge to sneeze as magic letting the sender know the message had been received was released.

>   
>  _Greetings Tempus Procuratio Entities_
> 
> This is your formal reminder that we will be hosting our meeting in the Goblin Kingdom this pick.
> 
> The main topic of discussion will be the millennial celebrations and 'Y2K and Your Magic'
> 
> Refreshments will be provided by  
>  The Greek Nymph Alliance
> 
> Am devours go léir ~ Moirae

 

Oh how he hated those old crones. Always meddling, always pestering and always abusing their power.  
He had all but forgotten that he had agreed to (been extorted to) host the next meeting. Time was relative to each and every realm, so the old hags used weaving measurements (a pick being about 2 years to his kingdom) to synchronize meetings. For Jareth this meant he had a little over a month before guest started popping in.

His thoughts on time returned him back to Sarah who was currently knipping off in his Solar. He conjured a crystal and couldn't help but smile a satisfied grin, she was peacefully asleep, and the room was serving how it should, it had provided her with a blanket.  
No, he looked closer, the blanket had sleeves, it was his dressing gown. He let out a laugh, startling the goblins that were starting to slink back in.

It had provided her with his dressing gown for a blanket. What could she have been seeking that it would have provided that? He refused to let his mind wander down that path, because all it did was bring him back to the same question. Why was she here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already been informed that my Gaelic and my Latin are miserable. I do apologize.


	10. On The Table

Sarah woke to the feeling of being watched. She was fairly aware that she wasn't in her own bed, the scent of cedar and spice tickling her nose, but the scent wasn't faded as the robe's had been. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and took in the sight of Jareth sitting in a chair, his feet up on another and eyes closed. His head lolled at an angle that made her neck sore just looking at him.

He hadn't changed appearance any since she had last seen him. She mused that his fatigue must have gotten the better of him. Again she was reminded of how little she actually knew about him. Was he still sick? Were other things troubling him, or had she really upset him that badly? And, how did time work here?

She sat up slowly, still pondering the last bit. How did time work? If he could send her back, so that she had only been gone minutes, when she clearly had been here hours, was it magic, or the fact that time moved faster here? Or both? As she pondered these things her eyes roamed over the book shelves, skimming across the array of colors and textures seated on dark wood up to the ceiling which she had merely glanced at before She now noticed the tapestries that hung, four in all, a red one with a crest embossed in silver, but the angle was wrong for her to get a proper view of it, a gold one with a view of the castle beyond the goblin city in burgundy, a green one with flowing script in white that Sarah guessed to be a language she was unfamiliar with. The final was black and held no markings at all. She searched about for a clock to no avail.

Sarah twisted to look out the large window properly, a crystalline moon now hung in the sky, the view cast in deep shadows.

"How long was I asleep." she muttered under her breath.

"Not even a full night's slumber." he answered her whispered thoughts, causing her to spin around only to see him rolling his shoulders.

There was so much she wanted and needed to say, but pride clogged her throat like a lump impossible to swallow around; and fear of his anger prevented her from openly questioning him. She shifted uncomfortable, unable to say or do anything.

"Ready to go home then?" he asked after the silence held for too long.

"No, not really." she answered, maybe too quickly, she could feel her ears becoming hot. She was focused on the robe across her knees, avoiding eye contact, gently kneading the material between her fingers.

He pulled on a sleeve drawing her attention to him.

"Funny the room should provide you with this instead of one of my many fine quilts." he humored out loud.

"The room?" she questioned. He had credited the room, not his own doing.

"Yes, the Solar, or family room as you may call it, is designed to provide the family their needs while relaxing here. You were evidently in need of rest and greatly desired a dressing gown." he gave her a full grin.

She scoffed, to hide the conflicting emotion that erupted inside of her. She had little doubt that he was trying to elicit a reaction from her, and that she was unwillingly giving him just what he wanted. Yet, the information he gave her left her excited to think a room that could give her whatever she asked for.

"So if I wanted breakfast?" she asked.

"Then we should take our conversation to the dining hall." he injected smoothly, giving her a warm smile.

"So no food in the Solar?" she observed, the implied rule reminding her slightly of her stepmother's insistence that she not have food in her own room, bringing an involuntary crease to her brow.

"It will provide you with a light snack but meals are a bit more formal." he clarified with a flourish of his hand, at the same time a glass of orange juice and a pop-tart appeared on the table.

She thought he had done it on purpose, she was still suspicious of the robe's appearance, but the look of bewilderment on his face when his gesturing hand nearly knocked into the glass was priceless.

She took that as her cue, and moved to the chair next him at the table. She slid her finger down the spine of the foil package of pop-tarts, blueberry, and offered Jareth one. He looked at it suspiciously and gingerly picked the pastry out of the package.

"It's not going to poison you." she said, the full implication of her words not registering until it was too late to take them back.

Jareth pulled a face, like he had just drank orange juice after brushing his teeth, the expression replaced quickly by one one of non interest, as he took a small bite, keeping a blank face as he chewed and swallowed.

Sarah took a bit larger of a bite, but kept quiet.

"Will you ever forgive me for that?" he inquired after a moment.

She could see the pain in his eyes, and, on some level she knew he had never meant to cause her harm. Still his ability to control and manipulate her, and his willingness to do it scared her. However she did have to admit that her teasing had gone a bit too far and it had put him in real peril.

Her guilt canceled any anger she could hold towards him, but it didn't equal trust, it wasn't so easily said though.

"I wish we could just put everything out on the table. No doublespeak, trickery, egos or pride in the way." she muttered, glowering at the remaining portion of his pop-tart.

"Why don't you?" The question was so innocent. His voice sincere, free of the usual sugar coating that made her weary of his end game.

She knew she had to be gaping at him. She couldn't get her array of emotions into words. Everything wanted to come out at once so she could say nothing at all. Memories of peaches, and crystal balls containing dreams flooded forward. Goblins on machines running her down, and her repeated pleas for her brother's return played in her memory.

Would he try tricking her again? Would he laugh at her if he knew what she really thought and felt? Hell, did she really know what she thought and felt when it came to him?

She clenched her jaw, and breathed deeply. If he had no power over her, why was she always so off kilter around him?

Her gaze had gone unfocused past his shoulder while she thought on it.

Why not start by giving him an honest answer to his question?

"Because , well, because if I did, it would give you all of the power. It would leave me completely exposed, and I'm not sure I can trust that you wouldn't use it against me." she declared, voicing her fears before all else.

Something changed in his eyes, it was like all the stars in that expansive nebula she had seen suddenly went out, they became dark, hard and cold. She suppressed the shudder that ran through her body, and the flight instinct that was quickly kicking in.

"This from the girl who watched me suffer in a cage and did nothing to help until I was completely powerless." his words dripped with pain and bitterness.

"Wait, what? I couldn't do anything during class, and I didn't know you were sick at that time. You are the one who flew into the window like an angry crazed and deranged bird to begin with." This wasn't going well, she didn't want another fight.

"How did you expect me to react to the sight of those outfits, after you so cruely threw my declarations of love back at me in the form and mockery of goblins dressed in our likeness." Jareth stood suddenly making to storm from the room. If she hadn't been focused on him so intently she would have missed the momentary flinch after he had said 'declarations of love'.

Sarah darted her hand out and grabbed his wrist firmly.

"Don't! Would you stop running away or banishing me from your presence when things get tense. We need to talk this out. I want to get past this, but I need your help."

Jareth didn't turn around, but he didn't leave either.

So much was running through Sarah's head. He had been different, ever since last night, he hadn't threatened or berated her. He hadn't tried to impress or dominate her. He had offered her refuge and left her alone to rest. Yet he seemed to upset so easily.

"I don't get you Jareth, I don't know anything about you, not really, and yet, you say these things." she took a shaky breath, still holding onto his wrist.

"How can you say you love me, and yet have put me through what you did?" Sarah felt Jareth stiffen even more in her grip before he slowly turned around.

"Do you truly not understand that your dreams have called out to me for some time now? I told you before, I did everything in my power to be what you expected, what you desired of me. You wished your brother away, by the laws of magic that bind me to my title and this land I had to fulfill your wish. Did I not then give you a way out of your own desires?" Though his voice was filled with passion, a thread of hurt still ran through his words.

"I offered you your dreams, you rejected them, I offered you power over me, you denied me. I exhausted myself trying to be what you desired."

Jareth had brought his free hand up to cup her cheek as he spoke, his gloved thumb gently stroking her jaw, and forcing her to once more look into his eyes.

The dark coldness had left them, but they didn't hold the breath taking promise of mischief that seemed natural to them either. Tired and weary, and filled with an emotion she wasn't quite sure of.

It took her a few heart beats to realize that he was searching her eyes just as intently. She couldn't help but wonder what it was that he saw. She wasn't sure of when, but all distance between them had closed, she was as close to him now as she had been when they danced.

A shiver of thrill passed through her, the commanding power he exuded contradicted his gentle touch and questioning expression.

She swallowed, forcing herself to form a reply to his questions.

"It's just as I said." Her voice came out too soft, too fragile "I don't know you well enough. I don't know what laws govern you. I don't have magic, I don't know the rules." Her voice gained a little strength as she spoke.

He released her chin and now looked away from her, making it impossible to read his reaction to her words.

His silence bothered her, she couldn't help but feel that she had hurt him again.

Not completely sure of her actions she reached up to turn his face towards her.

"But I want to learn, I want to get to know you." She said even as he deftly caught her fingers with in his.

"That would mean spending time, here, with me." he replied, his expression skeptical.

"You mean just coming to visit for a bit? I've told you already, I can't stay. I can't leave Toby, and my parents would worry.", at least her father might.

" We can work that out. I can't keep altering time, so you will have to find a way not to be missed by them. But I would not hold you captive, even if I could. As you surely have discovered, you have the ability to move between your realm and mine on your own. Though I would caution a little training on how to do so effectively. I would prefer not to pull you out of an oubliette all wet faced each time"

The mischief returning to his eyes as he teased her, flashing white canines as well.

She huffed with false indignation, tugging her hand free only to have him place his now unoccupied hand on her hip.

"I told you already, Your Majesty, that I was having a bad day." She returned his grin cheekily driving her point home by lightly thumping him on the shoulder. He raised his left eyebrow in response but didn't otherwise counter her.

"Speaking of time I should get you back before too much more has passed. Give me this dance and I will give you the tips needed to return here safely."

While his words were phrased as a demand Sarah was starting to understand that her dear Goblin King simply wasn't use to making request.

"It would be my pleasure." She returned, becoming aware that they had already started to sway to the music which she had just become conscious of.

They danced in silence, Sarah being taken in by the music, the warmth of her hand in his as they gently swayed and turned, and his scent so close.

> _"Just remember if this world makes you crazy_
> 
> _And you've taken all you can bear_
> 
> _Just call me up because you know I'll be there_
> 
> _And I see your true colors shining through_
> 
> _I see your true colors_
> 
> _That's why I love you_
> 
> _So don't be afraid to let them show"_

As the tune faded out he whispered next to her ear

"Now you have all that you need. Focus on this dance and your magic should lead you back. No spoken wish needed. Now, off to bed with you Precious."

 

Sarah bolted up in her bed. The night sky twinkling down at her.

She may have convinced herself that it was all a dream, if it hadn't been for the lingering scent of cedar and spice that clung to her.

She huffed a sigh as it dawned on her that he had given her a way to get back to him, but not the way to return home on her own. He was definitely a tricky one.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Credit for the song: True Colors by Cyndi Lauper, Epic records 1986, written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly

**Author's Note:**

> Please, you may throw reviews,rocks, goblins and rotten vegetation but no Fierey appendages, they wreak too much havoc on my inbox.


End file.
